Tamperproof mailbox



May 17, 1949.

' TAMPERI-PROOF MAILBOX c.' En. BRowNlNG 2,470,138

Filed June 27, 1947 5 INVENToR.

19a 1 'f 151g l CHARLES E. BRQWNING,

BY 4 ,M j ATT 12K-navi,

Patented May 17, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in a tamper-proof mail box. It consists of the combinations, constructions kand. arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a mail box that is adapted to be mounted on .a door of a house, or the like, and which is designed in such a manner that access may be had to the mail therein only when the door is opened. Thus, only :a person having a key to the door, or who may open the door from the inside of the house, can gain access to the mail.

In conventional building construction, a door is usually hinged to a j-amb with the latter projecting forwardly beyond the door when the door is closed. I mount my mail box on the outer face of fthe door :adjacent to the jamb. The latching means for the mail box and the projecting jamb coact with one another to prevent the mail box from being opened as long as 'the door remains closed. However, upon opening the door, the la'tching means may be retracted and thus permit the mail to be removed.

A further object of my invention is to yprovide fa tamper-proof mail box that is simple in construction, durable and eicient for the purpose intended.

O-ther objects and advantages lwill 'appear as the speciiication continues, and the novel features of my invention will be set forth in the claim hereunto appended.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my mail box i1- lustrating it as being mounted on the outer face of a door adjacent to the jamb;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line CII-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line III-III of Figure 1, the door being closed; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but disclosing the Vdoor opened :and showing the mail box in top plan view.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Referring to the :drawings in detail, I show a door A that is mounted on :a jamb B by means of hinges I in the conventional maner. The jamb projects forwardly beyond the outer door face 2 2 when the door is closed, as in Figure 3. My mail box is designated generally at C. It will be noted that the box is mounted on the outer surface 2 of the door adjacent to the jamb.

The mail box C includes .a receptacle having a rear wall 3, side walls d and a front wall 5. In

Figure 2, I show the rear wall as having .a turned back lip 3a, which is abutted against the outer surface of the door. Screws 'G secure this lip to the door, while a lower Kset of screws 'I anchor the bottom part of the rear wall 3 to the door. The screws 'I cannot be removed las long las the mail box remains closed. The lip 3a is anchored #to the door before the rear wall 3 is folded back completely upon the lip.

The top of the box is provided with a mail receiving slot 8, which allows mail to be inserted into the box. The bottom of the box has a maildischarge opening 9 (see Figure 2). A plate I0 is hinged to the lower end `of the rear wall 3, as at Il. When rthis plate is `disposed in the full line position as shown in Figure 2, the discharge opening 9 is closed. Upon swinging the plate Il! toward or beyond t-he dot-dash line position in Figure 2, the mail is discharged from the box.

A keeper I2 is anchored to the plate I0 by rivets I4, or other suitable fastening means. This keeper has a rolled over end defining a pin-receiving eyele't I2a. A -pin guide I5 is secured to the iront wall 5 by a rivet I'B, or other means.

AThis guide has a pair of pin-receiving eyelets I5a (see Figure 1) that are arranged to register with and straddle the eyelet |211 of the keeper when the plate I I) is closed.

In order to retain the plate I0 in closed position, I provide a pin I1 that is moveable endwise through the registering eyelets I2a and I5a, Ithus latching the plate against being opened. A spring I 8 encircles the pin I 1 and yieldingly urges the latch through .the registering eyelets, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. This spring encircles the pin and is disposed between the right-hand wall lI in Figure 1 and :a small bar I 8a extending transversely through the pin I1. The pin I1 extends through an opening I9 formed in One 0f fthe side walls 4, and has an operating knob 20 on the projecting end of the pin positioned exteriorly of the receptacle or mail box for manual manipulation.

Referring to the Figures 1 and 3, it will be noted that the J'amb B is disposed to prevent the pin I'I yfrom being retracted from the keeper I2 when the door A is closed. Thus the plate IIJ cannot be opened while the door remains closed. However, when the door A is opened, as in Figure 4, the

3 knob 20 will clear the jamb fand the pin l1 may be retracted from the keeper. At this time the plate l may .be opened to permit discharge from the box. The knob 20 is spaced slightly from the jam-b to `prevent marring of the latter.

After the mail has been discharged, the plate l0 may be closed again and .the -pin I1 moved end- Wise through the registering eyelets I2a and |5a by the spring I8. Upon :closing the door A, the jamb B `will prevent the pin from being retracted until the door -is opened again,

In Figure 1, the door A has its right-hand edgev hinged to the jai-nb B. When the left-hand door edge is hinged to a jamb on the opposite side lof the door opening, the pin is removed from the opening I9 and is reassembled so that it will not project Vtoward the left through an opening 19a formed in the left side Wall 4 of the mail box (see Figure 3.)

Igclaiinr.

A mail box designed to be positioned on either a right-hand or a left-hand opening door andadjacent to a jamb on the hinged hideA of the door; thev mail box `comprising a receptacle havinga mail-receiving slot at its top :and a mail-discharge opening at its bottom; a plate hinged to the receptacle for Iclosing the mail-discharge opening; a keeper anchored to the plate and having a pin-receiving eyelet; .la ipin guide secured to the receptacle and having a pair ofeyelets yarranged to register with and straddle the ieyelety of the keeper when .fthe plate is closed; a pin slidable in the eyelets of the guide :and extending '4 through one side of the receptacle; the fpin being moveable endwise for passing through the eyelets of the guide and keeper when the eyelets :are in registration, and thus locking the plate against being opened; the other side of the box having an opening in registration with the eyelets of the guide `and adapted to slidably receive the pin, whereby the pin may be placed on either side of the -box so as to 'be adjacent to the jamb when the door is Aclosed fand thus be prevented from being Withdrawn until the door is opened.

CHARLES B. BROWNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

NITED STATES PATENTS 

